Today’s quick review: Sweet Home Alabama. Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon), a New York fashion designer, hits the jackpot when Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), a political scion with a perfect personality, asks her to marry him. But before they can tie the knot, Melanie has one loose end to take care of: going back to her hometown in Alabama to convince her stubborn husband Jake (Josh Lucas) to finally sign the divorce papers.
Sweet Home Alabama is a romantic comedy about a woman who has to confront her past so she can move forward with her future. Reese Witherspoon stars as Melanie, a girl from Alabama who reinvented herself when she moved to New York. Sparks fly when she has to confront the people she left behind, including her parents (Fred Ward and Mary Kay Place), her childhood friends, and her husband Jake, who hasn’t given up on winning her back.
Sweet Home Alabama runs on a mixture of childish arguments, old scars, and small-town Southern culture. Everywhere Melanie turns, she’s greeted by uncomfortable shadows of the person she used to be. Melanie struggles to accept her past and convince Jake to move on, all while trying to keep her marriage a secret from Andrew. Meanwhile, the honest antics of her friends and family give the movie humor and charm.
While the conflicts work fairly well, Sweet Home Alabama suffers from some character issues. Nearly every character in the movie is catty, and the bad blood over Melanie’s departure taints what would otherwise be a heartwarming homecoming. Melanie and Jake have the makings of a fun relationship but never establish much chemistry. So while the mechanics of the plot are good, Sweet Home Alabama gets mixed results at an emotional level.
Sweet Home Alabama is a fine pick for fans of romantic comedies but not an outstanding one. It carves out a place for itself with an interesting love triangle and a town full of trouble for its heroine. But the movie’s characters and romance are only a partial success, leaving it without the emotional impact of other romantic comedies.
For another romantic comedy set in a small rural town, check out Runaway Bride. For a romantic comedy starring Patrick Dempsey, try Made of Honor. For a comedy about an ordinary woman corrupted by the fashion industry, try The Devil Wears Prada.
[6.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256415/). I give it a 6.5 for a good setup missing some of the vivacity it could have had.